If you are getting into fishing, waterfowl hunting, or trapping you will likely need to buy waders of some sort in the future. The difficult thing is knowing what you are looking at when facing the mountain of boxes full of waders in the store.

Waders come in two main varieties: hip waders and chest waders. Hip waders are essentially a pair of boots that extended up your legs to your thighs. There are two separate boots, one for each leg. Hip waders most commonly are made of rubber or PVC. Hip waders easier to put on and take off, cost less than chest waders, and are often all you need on small shallow streams.

Chest waders are like a combination of boots, pants and the bottom of a shirt all sewn together and waterproof. Chest waders are a one-piece unit, and are commonly made of neoprene, PVC, or nylon with a Gore-Tex membrane.